Frame building construction



.Fam 3, 1939. -1 KUPPERS N l2,142,692

FRAME BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. s, 1958 Patented Jan. 3, 1939UNITED STATES PATENT' OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a type of light building construction,particularly suited for summer cottages, housing and store structures inwarm climates, rural and farm buildings and temporary structures ofvarious kinds.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form oflight, frame-building construction that is quite substantial and durableboth in form and appearance while being inexpensive to erect andrequiring little technical skill in its assembly.

A specific embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional detail showing the form and relation ofthe principal elements of the structure.

Fig. 2 is a perspective viewl of a smallstore building embodying thestructural features of this invention.

Fig. 3 is an inside perspective view of a portion of the same.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In erecting a building according to this invention, the first step is toexcavate a shallow trench defining the outer margins or external wallaline- 4ment of the building.

The next step is to set up a series of posts defining the externalcontour of the building, including corner posts A and intermediate postsAl as the wall structure of the building calls for, the number andarrangement of such posts being determined by the architectural designof the building and their spacing being determined by the nature of thesheet material that makes up the wall panels.

These posts may be rough or dressed tree boles or processed timber andare creosoted and set into the ground in individual post holes below thebottom of the trench to a sufficient depth to be held permanently erect,this depth being deter' mined by the nature of the soil in which theyare placed. If natural tree boles are used, they should be dressed flatonthe innerface Iy and P erected so this face is plumb and in planaralinement with the corresponding faces of all the posts included in thesame wall, so that the sheeting B which will be afterward appliedthereto will be supported in a true vertical plane.

The tops of the posts are next trimmed so that they all lie in the samehorizontal' plane and are notched on their inner faces at this end, asat 2, to receive a. horizontal Stringer C by means of which the tops ofthe posts are rigidly connected together and the inner face 3 of thisstrlnger is flush with the inside faces of the posts. Resting on thisStringer and extending over the tops of the posts and appropriatelysecured to both, as by nailing, is a header beam D upon which therafters F are carried. These rafters are notched 5 to t and rest uponthis header beam and are extended in the usual manner outwardly beyondthis header. beam to provide overhanging eaves accordingto the desiredarchitectural design.

Also resting on the header beam D are the ceil- 10 ing joists or beamsor truss elements 4 that may be required for rigidity according to thesize' of the building, and for relieving the posts from side thrust.

`After the rafters'F have been applied, the floor 15 stringere E arefastened .to the posts A at approv priate elevation to determine the oorlevel and their outer faces are held spaced away from the inner faces ofthe posts by temporary blocking that is removed when the wall sheetingis applied. 20

After the skeleton frame and roof sheeting G have been applied, ashallow concrete wall H is poured in an appropriate mold erected in thetrench in which the posts A are set up. This wall is of greaterthickness than the posts and so arranged as to rigidly embrace andltietogether all u of the supporting posts of the frame structure.

The top of this wall is horizontal at 5 throughout that portion whichlies inwardly of the inner face of the posts A and is sloped downwardlyand outwardly at 6 so as to provide drainage for rainwater, away fromthe lower edge of the sheeting B.

The concrete of the foundation wall H is flushed to the bottom of theStringer E and the wall extends inwardly suiiiciently far to support aconcrete slab I, or a wood floor structure that might be substitutedfor'that slab.

The wall sheeting B may be wooden boards, or composition substitutes forwooden boards, and 4r is nailed or bolted to the stringers C and E andappropriately tted to the rafters F and roof sheeting G and extends downto the concrete wall .between the post A and the Stringer strip E.

In making the concrete foundation wall in the form of a sill beam lyingbelow and adjacent the surface of the ground and extending the postsinto the ground a considerable distance below this sill beam, it ispossible to make a substantial structure with a minimum of concrete andat the same time rmly anchor the same to the ground so ,that it has ahigh resistance to disturbance by wind pressure or erosion of the groundsurface about the building. The floor slab I also contributes its weightto anchcring the building.

In some instances it may be desirable to omit the digging of the trenchfor the concrete wall H. which is above-mentioned as the first step,until after the framework has been erected and the wall sheeting B andfloor stringer E have been applied, since this procedure will avoidhaving the trench interfere with access to the building during thesepreliminary operations. When 'the foundation wall H is being laid,provision is also made for chimney K, or the like, which the design ofthe building calls for.

If the wall is made of a single layer of vertical boards or strips. theoutside Joints are covered by' finishing strips 1. The interior of thewalls may be trimmed with finishing strips I and l.

I claim:

1. A building construction, comprising a series of posts set upright inindividual post holes in the ground, and a sill beam of concreteconnecting and embracing said posts and having its bottom surface spaceda considerable distance above the bottoms of the posts.

2. A building construction, comprising a series of posts set upright inindividual post holes m the ground, and a sill beam of concreteconnecting and embracing said posts in the form of a shallow foundationwall embedded in the ground with its bottom located at considerabledistance above the bottoms of the posts.

3. A building construction, comprising a series of posts set upright in'individual post holes in the ground to define the outline of. abuilding, and a sill beam of concrete connecting and embracing saidposts in the form of a shallow foundation wall extending marginallyabout said outline and being embedded in the ground with its bottomlocated at considerable distance above the bottoms of the posts.4

4. The method of building construction which comprises setting into theground a series of building frame posts to a depth sufllcient to holdsaid posts individuallyl erect, connecting upper portions of said postsby structural framing, and then pouring a concrete foundation wall soais to embed therein the lower portions of said posts and with itsbottom located a considerable distance above the bottoms of said posts.

. HERMAN J. KUPPERS.

